KMFDM 2013 promo poster
KMFDM TOUR POSTER (War Bus)
As part of their promotional campaign for their upcoming tour, industrial group KMFDM commissioned me to come up with something appropriate.
Inspired by WW1 armoured mini tanks and modern anti-riot vehicles, I set about creating a hybrid more suited to the band’s image than the traditional tour bus. After creating a collage of elements in Photoshop, I then warped and re-shaped the chassis before re-drawing the finished product in ink. Final artwork layers composed in Illustrator.
‘Kunst’,
In support of the Femen/Pussy Riot protestors, I created a suitably forceful chainsaw-wielding amazon for the front cover of the new KMFDM album, ‘Kunst’.
Since their incarceration for various anti-Putin stunts and protests, international support for the women of the movement has grown exponentially, mostly due to their bare-chested style of defiance.
(see Femen cross-felling video here: femen-cross-pussy-riot-930
Facebook have removed the image the band’s page.
Lucia (KMFDM) New print.
A detail of singer Lucia Cifarelli from KMFDM’s band artwork from a few years back and now available from the BRUTE! blog shop as either a 240gm. photo stock or framed canvas print.
Each print is signed by the artist and numbered from a limited edition of 500 (photo stock) and 250 (canvas).
Mike – Breaking Bad
To commemorate the passing of one of the greatest hit men ever to grace the screen, I created this vector illustration of steely ex-cop turned meth dealer muscle, Mike Ehrmantraut, again represssing the urge to blow Walter White’s scheming brains out.
He shall be sorely missed.
Prints of the Breaking Bad character are ava
ilable from the blog shop.
http://blog.bruteprop.co.uk/?page_id=318&category=1&product_id=122
David Beckham Sportrait
For the second of my sportrait series for online gambling site Buddybet, we decided to run a poll on Facebook to find the world’s most popular footballer. Despite heavy competition, David Beckham came out a clear winner and it is in his honor than I created this illustration depicting the moment before he scored that legendary last minute free-kick against Greece that booked England a place at the 2002 World Cup finals.
To convey the moment of calm before impact, I have created several kinetic thrusts: the rush of the player, the downward swoop of his leg and the imaginary arc of the ball as it blasts its way past the wall and into the back of the net. To further intensify the velocity of the scene, I have drawn Becks as a figurative lightening bolt, poised at the moment of striking its way to earth.
click for full size
Sportrait: New Orleans Saints Marques Colston
As part of my recent sportraits series, I was commissioned to tackle New Orleans Saints’ receiver Marques Colston in the traditional BRUTE! style.
Keep checking the blog for new sportraits in the coming months.
Scarface (Tony Montana) poster
It’s been almost 20 years since I last created a portrait of Tony Montana (Scarface), surely one of the most iconic characters ever to have blasted their way out of a movie screen.
Since its less-than prestigious reception in 1983, Brian De Palma’s blazing gangster epic has become even more famous than its illustrious genre forebear, The Godfather, and remains one of the most influential (and oft-quoted) films of all-time.
Click to enlarge
Samuel Beckett- 30-minute portrait
click to enlarge.
As part of my 30-minute Portrait series I decided, once again, to draw a man of senior years and created this vector sketch of Irish avant-garde novelist, playwright, theatre director, and poet Samuel Beckett.
Beckett is widely regarded as among the most influential writers of the 20th century. Strongly influenced by James Joyce, he is considered one of the last modernists. As an inspiration to many later writers, he is also sometimes considered one of the first postmodernists. He is one of the key writers in what Martin Esslin called the “Theatre of the Absurd”. His work became increasingly minimalist in his later career.
Keep a look out for a special edition print run of this illustration in the BRUTE! shop.
Logo for Texas Blood Money
My logo for Canadian band, Texas Blood Money (don’t ask), inspired in part by the iconic RKO film ident. Created in Illustrator.
Available as T-shirts from their site soon.
Look out for upcoming album and tour dates at their web site here.
Day for Night: Jack the Ripper cover
Of all the Illustrator artwork I’ve done over the years, this cover for new band Night Surgeon proved to be so intense and complicated that I had to go out and buy a new PC (each brick in the left wall has between 3-6 different layers and the RoBoHo took almost a week to complete). While the story concerns the antics of Britain’s most famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper’s shadow is the only evidence of his presence in the scene.
I was heavily influenced by my research into the crimes of Jack the Ripper and spent hours poring over some of the lurid lithographs of the period, trying to somehow convey the flickering effect of old gas lamps on foreground and background shadows. In addition to the lithographic research, I sourced early Kasimir Malevitch‘s paintings of farm workers etc. to convey the stiffness in the coats and uniforms worn by policemen of the period.
Of all the work I’ve done so far with Illustrator, this piece has had the steepest learning curve of the lot and the compunction to continue layering was hard to resist. In recent years, I’ve endeavored to minimalise my style to such an extent that I’d forgotten the power of detailing in telling a story. These new skills, plus the power of the new PC, will enable me to generate a more in-depth dimension to my work in the future.
More information about the new release and the band here
RED DARE poster – now on sale.
- RED DARE – click to enlarge
Inspired by Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare comics and the Rev. W. Awdry Thomas the Tank Engine book series, this retro-futurist hover train comes hot off the BRUTE! presses this week.
Printed on 200gm. photo stock in blazing scarlet, this gorgeous poster will set your wall on fire (not really).
From a special limited edition of 250, each poster is signed and numbered by the artist.
Also available in glazed and framed canvas.
Don’t miss that train! Order today from the BRUTE! blog shop.
Giant FIST stickers roll off the press
Courtesy of Twisted Sticker in Toronto, BRUTE! are proud to unleash our latest monster onto the marketplace.
At a pugilistic 52 inches across, this empowering emblem will stun the neighbours into oblivion when they see it emblazoned across your SUV or dirtbike.
Made from weather-resistant vinyl and delivered in custom BRUTE! packing tubes, the FIST sticker is going to smack the living daylights out of your, er… day.
Please check the products shop for details on how to order.
MESSIAH – game concept art
Back when I was working as an art director and writer for Zombie Games in Seattle, I came up with a, for then, revolutionary game concept called Messiah.
To play, you set out as a child and worked your way through eight quests, each one leading you further onward to eventually become a wise elder who unites and frees the enslaved populace.
As there were no weapons involved, the player had to use their wits, charm, stealth and cunning to get to the top. Unfortunately, it was such a revolutionary concept in 1998 that it was unable to be made into a game.
Maybe next time…
In those days, my usual way of presenting an idea was in the style of a graphic novel which normally took me between a week and ten days to flesh out. The above illustration was hand-drawn in ink on A3 paper and represents a few of the levels contained in the game which would later be expanded on by the level designers.
I presented this concept to GT Interactive and Zombie shortly before I left the company to go freelance.
This original artwork is available for purchase. Offers to: bruteprop@gmail.com
BIG RED – Women’s Day
To celebrate International Women’s Day, I wanted to choose an iconic female that would speak volumes about the women in my life and their best qualities: their concern and resolve, their nobility and beauty.
PS. I used the lovely Tina Louise (Ginger in Gilligan’s Island) as the basis for BIG RED.
The image is available form the Products shop as either a canvas or art stock paper print.
‘George’ illustration by BRUTE!
click to enlarge
Another portrait for a KPMG staffer’s private commission.
Portraits cost 500 euros. Please contact bruteprop@gmail.com for details.
KPMG – The Boss
click to enlarge
I seem to be working towards becoming the in-house artist for financial giants KPMG these days, with several of my commissions originating from their Prague office.
As their top man celebrated his 60th birthday recently, I decided to render a quick artwork which was presented to him this week.
Vectorised ‘A Drug Against War’ artwork
![adaw [Converted]](http://blog.bruteprop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/adaw-Converted.jpg "adaw [Converted]")
click to enlarge
Every once in a while, I get the opportunity to re-render one of my old illustrations.
A Drug Against War was one of my first sleeves for KMFDM and when I asked the band for a high-res copy of the sleeve, they were only able to supply me with a heavily-pixellated version. So, using Illustrator, I painstakingly reproduced the artwork with clean and minimalist vectors, keeping as close as possible to the original.
I am offering this beautiful A0 canvas print for the special price of 560 euros.
(see in the Products shop for details)
‘Homeland’ illustration.
‘Homeland’ artwork click to enlarge
In April of this year, I was contacted by a client with an interesting proposition: to create a piece that accurately described his philosophy of the defence of freedom.
Conceptual roughs for ‘Homeland’.
Over the ensuing weeks and months, and guided by his specific and intricate instructions, I condensed the dynamics of our conversations into a series of roughs. The more successful of these roughs were compiled into the final image which represents the defense of the weak from the predatory aspects of human nature.
This was a complex and challenging commission and one that I’m proud to have completed to the client’s satisfaction.
To commission your own BRUTE! illustration, please contact us with your ideas at: bruteprop@gmail.com
To purchase the ink original, please also contact the above email address.
BRUTE! ‘Night Witch’ artwork
Pictured is my latest portrait, entitled ‘Night Witch’, with Martina, the model who sat for it.
Price: 400 euros plus 60 euros for the printing, framing and glazing (postage extra).
Free Fight the Jab posters
http://www.naturalnews.com/026503
_pandemic_swine_flu_bioterrorism.html
In order that as many people as possible understand what is going on, propaganda must be disseminated in all quarters of the media. Starting from the street.
Download from this site or email us on bruteprop@gmail.com for your two free posters.
Rare BRUTE! artworks discovered
A pic of me with one of the animation frames from ADAW
During my long-postponed visit to the UK this month, I came across a number of original artworks.
Stored in air-tight folders and packed into a steel chest, items from the early to late 90′s (including a number of animation frames and storyboards from the two animations I did for KMFDM) came to light as well as a treasure trove of ink originals, sketch books, silkscreens and graphic porn – all in perfect condition.
Discovery of lost 9/11 series.
I will be auctioning many of these rare items on eBay in a month or so, so please keep watching this space.
Please contact us at bruteprop@gmail.com for samples and inventory or go here: http://www.theultraheavybeat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2995
RAGE! comic from 1982
The early 80′s was a tense time. The world seemed on the brink of war, youth unemployment was at an all-time high and strikes and riots were commonplace. To reflect this, I began to write and illustrate a series of strips that attempted to address these concerns. The first copy of RAGE! was sold in Bristol, London and Amsterdam and was creating a buzz until its demise soon after the originals for RAGE! 2 were stolen from my apartment in Holland.
Thanks to my brother for digging this one out.
BRUTE! Tohuvabohu Swordgirl Original
Another element from the Tohuvabohu art file.
This is the original ink art that was scanned in to complete the album cover.
Hand-drawn with brush-pen and rapidograph, this 5”x7” illustration was the definitive final version before I traced it in Illustrator and coloured it.
I am now proud to present it for sale, price 275 euros (incudes shipping and handling). Contact: bruteprop@gmail.com
(If unsold in three weeks, I will then put it up for auction on eBay).
Kelly Brook update
Almost on the final leg(?) of the illustration of Kelly Brook which I started vector-tracing over a week ago in my spare time.
I’ve learned a lot by using the gradient mesh and transform mesh tools and my anchor point tweaking has improved tremendously.
Its been an experience working this way as my normal output seldom includes so much gradient work but its handy to know if something of this type crops up again.
Keep watching for the final illustration. Feel free to make suggestions for the background (keep it simple).
